Before anybody had broken the silence Seth came in; and after shaking hands with Fleda, startled her by asking whether that was not Mr. Carleton in the other room.
"Yes," Fleda said,--"he came to see aunt Miriam."
"Ain't you well enough to see him, mother?"
"Quite--and very happy," said she.
Seth immediately went back and invited him in. Fleda dared not look up while the introductions were passing,--of "the Rev. Mr. Olmney," and of "Dr. Quackenboss,"--the former of whom Mr. Carleton took cordially by the hand, while Dr. Quackenboss conceiving that his hand must be as acceptable, made his salutation with an indescribable air at once of attempted gracefulness and ingratiation. Fleda saw the whole in the advancing line of the doctor's person, a vision of which crossed her downcast eye. She drew back then, for Mr. Carleton came where she was standing to take her aunt's hand; Seth had absolutely stayed his way before to make the said introductions.
Mrs. Plumfield was little changed by years or disease since he had seen her. There was somewhat more of a look of bodily weakness than there used to be; but the dignified, strong-minded expression of the face was even heightened; eye and brow were more pure and unclouded in their steadfastness. She looked very earnestly at her visiter and then with evident pleasure from the manner of his look and greeting. Fleda watched her eye softening with a gratified expression and fixed upon him as he was gently talking to her.
Mr. Olmney presently came round to take leave, promising to see her another time, and passing Fleda with a frank grave pressure of the hand which gave her some pain. He and Seth left the room. Fleda was hardly conscious that Dr. Quackenboss was still standing at the foot of the bed making the utmost use of his powers of observation. He could use little else, for Mr. Carleton and Mrs. Plumfield after a few words on each side, had as it were by common consent come to a pause. The doctor, when a sufficient time had made him fully sensible of this, walked up to Fleda, who wished heartily at the moment that she could have presented the reverse end of the magnet to him. Perhaps however it was that very thing which by a perverse sort of attraction drew him towards her.
"I suppose--a--we may conclude," said he with a somewhat saturnine expression of mischief,--that Miss Ringgan contemplates forsaking the agricultural line before a great while."
"I have not given up my old habits, sir," said Fleda, a good deal vexed.
"No--I suppose not--but Queechy air is not so well suited for them--other skies will prove more genial," he said; she could not help thinking, pleased at her displeasure.